Sheet glass forming machine



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Patented Dec. 23, 1941 FFICE SHEET GLASS FORMING MACHINE John L. Drake and George R.

Roesch, Toledo,

Ohio, assignors to Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application July 17, 1937, Serial No. 154,166

1o claims.

The present invention relates to the art of producing sheet glass and more particularly to a machine for drawing glass in continuous flat sheet form.

It is the aim of the invention to provide animproved machine for drawing sheet glass in accordance with the well known Colburn process, as exemplified on Patent #1,248,809, issued December 4, 1917, wherein a continuous sheet or ribbon of glass is drawn upwardly from the surface of a bath of molten glass contained in a relatively shallow working receptacle or drawpot and, while still in a semi-plastic condition,

although substantially set in its nal sheet form,

isdeflected over a bending roll into the horizontal plane and carried horizontally intoV and through an annealing leer.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a machine of the above character of such novel construction and arrangement as to render it more easily and accurately controllable as regards temperature and operation, thereby permitting the formation of a sheet of more uniform thickness and fiatness and substantially free from waves and other surface defects.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of such a machine so constructed that'the sheet being drawn is effectively protected from dirt, drafts, and other disturbing atmospheric conditions during its formative period and the interior oaf the machine maintained at a more constant uniform temperature, thereby greatly facilitating the formatioa .if a sheet of exceptionally high quality.

Another object of the invention is the proviy sion of such a machine embodying novel closure means for the opposite sides thereof which, while serving to efectively'protect the sheet from dirt, drafts and other disturbing atmospheric conditions, permits easy and convenient access to the various parts of the machine which may be in needof repair or replacement.

A'vffurther object of the invention is the provision of such a machine embodying 4improved rn'eaiislfor mounting and driving the bending roll in `a"manner that the said roll can 'be accurate- 1y adjufstiedboth vertically and horizontally with respectto -th'e'iworking receptacle and also rotatedf'at a relatively higher speed than that at whichlit' is normally positively driven in order to ellectthe cleaning of the said roll without inter `llting the operation of the machine;

1VAJflithfer"object of the invention is the provisidnf such a machine embodying novel means for mounting the coolers and lip-tiles which are arranged at opposite sides of the sheet, being drawn in such a manner that desired adjustments thereof may be eiected from outside the machine enclosure means to the end that the said coolers and lip-tiles may be adjusted without exposing the interior of the machine to dirt, drafts and other disturbing atmospheric conditions.

A- still further object of the invention is the provision of such a machine including various other novel features of construction,l arrangement, and design which combine and cooperate to produce a machine of great practicability and eiiiciency and one which has proven of outstanding commercial success.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like'numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the enclosure means at one side of the machine, taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the enclosure means, taken substantially on line 1 4 of Fig. 1;

, Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 3 showing the supporting means for the sheet coolers;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 1 showing the means `for supporting one of the lip tiles;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 1 1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. 6, partiallyV in `section;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the machine taken substantially on line 9 9 of- Fig. 10 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on line I D IO of Fig. 2;

Figgvll is a plan view of one of the roll supporting beams;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of one of the machine side frames; 1

Fig. 13 is'a detail sectional view taken substantially on line I3 l3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view through the bending roll and supporting and drive means therefor, taken substantially on line l4|4 of Fig. 1';

Fig. substantially on line I5--I5 of Fig. 14;

Figs. 16, 1'7 and 18 are detail sectional views of the bending roll supporting and drive means, taken respectively on lines |6--l6, |1|1, and I8-l8 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 19 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line l9|9 of Fig, 18;

Fig. 20 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 20-20 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 21 is a horizontal sectional view through the bending roll adjusting and drive means taken substantially on line 2 |-2l of Fig. 14;

Fig. 22 is a detail vertical sectional view of the bending roll supporting means taken substantially on line 22-22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 23 is a horizontal detail sectional view taken substantially on line 23-23 Iof Fig. 22;

Fig. 24 is a. side elevation, partially in section, of the enclosure for the bending roll cooling means;

Fig. 25 is a view Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is a vertical sectional view of the idler roll and its supporting and drive means, taken substantially on line 26-26 of Fig. l;

Fig. 27 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 21-21 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 28 is a horizontal sectional View of the taken at right angles to supporting and adjusting means for the curtain tile, taken substantially on line 28--28 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 29 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on line 29--29 of Fig. 28;

Fig. 30 is a vertical sectional view of a part of the bending roll drive means, taken substantially on line 30-30 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 31 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3|3I of Fig. 30.

Fig. 32 is a detail vertical sectional view of one of the roll supporting beams taken substantially on line 32-32 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 33 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the enclosure means taken substantially on line 33-33 of Fig. 3.

GENERAL CoNsTRUcTioN AND OPERATION or MACHINE With reference now to the drawings and par-- which a mass of molten glass 4| is adapted to be produced, refined, and cooled to the proper working temperature. The molten glass 4l flows from the furnace into a relatively shallow working receptacle-or draw-pot 42 to form a relatively shallow bath of glass 43, said draw-pot being supported upon stools 44 within a heating chamber 45 which surrounds the said draw-pot and is heated in any desired manner. l A sheet of glass 46 is continuously drawn upwardly from 'the surface of the molten bath 43 and while still in a semi-plastic condition, although substantially set in its final sheet form, is deflected into the horizontal plane about a bending roll 41 and then passed over a so-called idler or intermediate roll 48 and through a drawing and flattening chamber 49 wherein the said sheet is supported-and carried forwardly upon a series of horizonta`lly aligned machine .rolls 56. The sheet 46 passes from the drawing and flattening chamber 49, into an annealing leer 5l is 'a horizontal sectional view taken y wherein it is supported and carried along upon a series of horizontally aligned rolls, one of which is shown at 52. As the sheet travels through the leer it is adapted to be suitably annealed and cooled as is well known in the art.

In order to maintain the glass sheet 46 being drawn to width, it is preferred to use knurled rollers 53 positioned to engage opposite sides of the sheet at each edge thereof, said rollers being arranged to grip the said sheet closely adjacent the base or meniscus 54 thereof. Arranged above the draw-pot 42 at opposite sides of the sheet are backand front lip tiles 55 and 56 respectively which serve. not only to protect the sheet during its formative period from heat, gases, etc., issuing from the furnace 40 beneath the jack arch 51 and from the pot chamber 45, but also to direct such heat downwardly upon the surface of the bath of molten glass 43 to assist in properly conditioning the same. Disposed inwardly of the lip tiles 55 and 56 are the sheet coolers 58 and 59 respectively, each of said coolers consisting preferably of a hollow metallic casing, substantially rectangular in cross section, and through which a suitable cooling medium such as water or air -is caused to be continuously circulated.

The side portions of the heating chamber 45, surrounding draw-pot 42, are closed at' their upper ends by cover plates 60 (Figs. 4 and 6) which join the side walls 6I of said chamber and the side walls 62 of said draw-pot, While the openings at the opposite ends of the lip tiles 55 and 56 are closed by burner blocks 63 supported upon the cover plates 60, said blocks 63 being termed ,burner blocks, because gas burners may be projected therethrough to heat the space above the bath of molten glass 43 if desired.

The bottom of the drawing and flattening chamber 49 comprises a series of transverse refractory blocks 64, the adjacent side edges of which are provided with tongues 65 which overlap one another. The blocks 64 are laid upon a sub-floor 66 of suitable insulating material supported by the transverse mantles 61 and. 68. The end yofthe sub-oor 66 adjacent the drawpot 42 rests upon the top of the adjacent end wall 69 of pot chamber 45, while the rear end of the lip tile 56 rests upon the sub-floor 66'to prevent heat and gases from passing from pot chamber into the drawing and flattening chamber 49. The top of the drawing and ilattening chamber is formed of a series of refractory blocks 10 provided at their adjacent edges with overlapping tongues 1|, said blocks being covered by suitable insulating material 12. The blocks 16 are hung from vertical rods 13 which pass upwardly through the insulating material 12 and are carried by horizontal supporting beams 14.

Positioned above the bending roll 41 is a refractory tile member `15 spaced from the first refractory block 10 to provideV therebetween an opening 16 extending transversely of the machine and normally closed by a plurality of closure blocks 11 disposed in end to end relation as shown in Fig. 10. Mounted above the opening 16, in surrounding relation thereto, is a vertical flue or stack 18 and supported upon the upper endthereof is a plurality-of upwardly tapering chimneys 19 arranged side by side transversely of the machine. Extending longitudinally of the stack18, adjacent its upper end, is a horizontal shaft having keyed th'ereto a plurality of pulleys 8|, one being provided for each closure block 11. Fastened to each of the 

